Tips for milking during COVID-19

Milking is one of the essential tasks on a dairy farm. During these extraordinary times of COVID-19, it is essential to keep yourself and your milkers safe at milking time.

Before milking 

• Disinfect your boots in a fresh foot bath before entering the milking parlour or dairy
• Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for 20 seconds as per HSE guidelines
• Use nitrile disposable gloves and a clean parlour apron or parlous suit
• Use your own personal protective equipment (PPE) and don’t share with other milkers

 Milking in Herringbone Parlours

• Where possible, milk with one person in the pit
• Disinfect your gloves and parlour apron /suit regularly through-out the milking
• Where two people are needed, split the parlour into two zones , i.e. in a 30 unit parlour, let one milker look after units 1-15 and the other milker look after units 16-30 to enable physical distancing
• Although bunny-hopping is the most efficient way to milk cows in a large herringbone parlour, it is safer to split the parlour into two zones as outlined above for the duration of COVID-19 

Milking in Rotary Parlours

• Milk with one person putting on the clusters (where possible)
• Where two people normally put on the clusters it is worth considering cutting this back to one person during COVID-19 to ensure milker safety
• If two people are needed it is essential that staff keep at least 2 metres apart

After Milking 

• Wash down and disinfect your parlour apron or suit
• Remove your gloves correctly, discard and wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap following HSE guidelines
• COVID-19 stays on plastic and steel surfaces for 72 hours. Disinfect shared work areas. Pay particular attention to clusters, bulk tank outlet and door handles etc.
• Minimise staff contact as much as possible
• Follow your co-op guidelines regarding the provision of soap, paper towel and the regular disinfection of surfaces
• We are living in extraordinary times so please Stay Safe